What area of the North West interests you?

[APOLLO]

Marsa69, Bolton Great Moor St has great modelling potential. Here are a few good books with pictures, plans etc

 

Plodder Lane for Farnworth - Bert Holland - Triangle Publishing

A Lancashire Triangle Parts 1 & 2 - D J Sweeney - Triangle Publishing

Railways in & Around Bolton - Bill Simpson - Foxline (Scenes from the past No 10)

 

There are also 3 modelling books with a Great Moor St based O gauge layout featured, availiable cheaply on Amazon

Creating The Scenic Landscape, Baseboard Basics & Making Tracks, Locomotive & Rolling Stock Construction All by Trevor Booth & published by Silver Link

 

Hope this is of help.

 

Brit15

[marsa69]

Thanks for that Brit,

 

I already have books 1 & 3 in your list and I'm after the Lancashire Triangle books as we speak. I will have to look out for the modelling ones you mention as this is th efirst time someone has mentioned them to me, cheers,

[CKPR]

Easy, the CKPR and the M&CR plus all of the other West Cumberland lines.

[misterscrubb]

I am really interested in railways around Manchester and in the peak district. Would love to know more about their history.

I am really interested in railways around Manchester and in the peak district. Would love to know more about their history.

[45661 Vernon]

My interests are the railways originating in Bradford & Leeds & the Aire valley route to the Skipton.

I find leeds in particular a very interesting subject with a whole host of stations, goods yards & lines that stem back to the pre grouping era.

[islandtraction]

I grew up in the area encircled by the Oldham loop line so have fond memories, although as has been said it was hardly the bucolic GWR line. We were also served by a wealth of fine municipal buses which seemed to get to the many parts the railways didn't serve. Amongst these were maroon and white vermilion lined out favourites especially those originating from Errwood Park. I'm sure Coachman is in that loop! 

Anyhow back to the loop line... this became DMU operated from very early on, about 1958 or before. I remember the speed whiskers Cravens from trips with my uncle from Hollinwood. Later I would use the train from Royton to Victoria. The yard was always full of wagons and the occasional Jinty shunting there or the yards at Royton Junction. I have memories of the dmu that over ran the buffers at Royton, I used to catch my bus to school (no parallel trains) from the stop about 20 yards away! So it was pretty much all DMUs apart from the odd freight and holiday specials which traversed the line.

 

We used to visit an aunt in Bolton, there were trains from Rochdale at 0835, 0845 and 0855 and I rumbled that the 45 to Wigan Wallgate at this time was always steam hauled, so there was always a hurry to get out of the house! The loco was probably a black 5, a standard 5 or a Crab - they were always black anyway, although some may have been green deep down underneath, like Hood, often seen on approach to Victoria standing by the signal box on its duties as station pilot in later days.

 

I remember little about all the track around Oldham Mumps, and although Lees shed was still active at this time, the line onwards through Grotton tunnel and to Delph had long gone, as had the Guide Bridge line from Central, although that station was fully intact. The Middleton track remained and the gradient was quite fascinating viewed from a dmu passing through Werneth. I never did see a train on it and often peered over at it when crossing Crossley Bridge on Broadway by bus, and although Middleton remained open quite late, I only ever observed the station from the outside. Likewise the coal yard at Chadderton by Middleton Rd, and the extensive sidings at Chadderton Power Station never yielded any active motive power.

 

On approach to Rochdale from the loop line you could see the lengthy viaduct that spanned the Roch valley, I believe that freight continued on it for some time way beyond cessation of the passenger service (in 1947?). It was eventually demolished and word had it that the land beneath was such that it had become unsafe. I don't remember regular steam passenger workings on the Calder Valley line through Rochdale other than holiday season specials, the class 110 dmu's seemed predominant, and just a little more refined in fittings etc than our local dmus. My last mainline steam passenger journeys were from Rochdale to Victoria via Castleton on holiday specials, my last hauled by a grubby standard 5 with a cardboard headcode on the smokebox door. Happy days!

 

Modelling wise my tastes couldn't be more different. Having later lived at the stub end of the Withered Arm and developed a fondness for BR (SR) backwaters which influences my motive power, that and the limitations of a end to end shelf layout have predetermined that the trains must be small, so push pull and railbuses mix it with a teddy bear and hopefully soon a baby warship. I still crave a Cravens but when the 2 car appears it will more likely be a Thumper...

Keith

[sundodger]

Huyton Quarry nr Liverpool

Can any one help me out, I am after the track plan for Huyton quarry showing the sidings, I have been on the net but cannot find any good detailed drawings.

Thanks

Steve

[Tom D]

Huyton Quarry nr Liverpool

Can any one help me out, I am after the track plan for Huyton quarry showing the sidings, I have been on the net but cannot find any good detailed drawings.

Thanks

Steve

Hi Steve,

 

The layout of Huyton Quarry is shown in British Railways Layout Plans of the 1950s Volume 9 by John Swift, it shows not only the layout, but the position and type of signals for the layout.

 

Best regards,

 

Tom D

[stevescan]

Bolton, Manchester Woodhead route